


The Iclyn Saga

by xVanillax



Series: Who Would Have Thought [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Adventure, Alien Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family, Fights, Friendship, God of Destruction Beerus Saga, Martial Arts, Multi, Namekian Biology, Namekian Culture, Original Character(s), Planet Namek, Romance, Space Flight, Super Saiyan, Swearing, Tournament of Power Saga, Universe 6 (Dragon Ball), Universe 7 (Dragon Ball), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:14:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28218303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xVanillax/pseuds/xVanillax
Summary: Gohan worries about his best friends happiness. Piccolo reassures him that he is content and found peace in his life. But is he truly? When another threat reaches planet earth, our heroes rush to the front line to defend their home. The alien ship doesn’t only reveal another evil icejin, but a secret about the Namekian race unravels itself. All eyes are suddenly focused on our beloved Namekian Piccolo, since he might be the next savior of Universe 6 (Universe 7's twin Universe).
Relationships: Android 18/Krillin (Dragon Ball), Bulma Briefs/Vegeta, Piccolo & Son Gohan, Piccolo Daimao/Original Character(s), Videl Satan/Son Gohan
Series: Who Would Have Thought [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067243
Kudos: 4





	1. A part of the Son family

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Dragonball, Dragonball Z of Dragonball Super. It just inspired me to write a FanFiction about my alltime favorite men Piccolo and Gohan. 
> 
> This fic takes place right after the Tournament of Power saga from Dragonball Super. If you haven't seen Dragonball Super, no worries. All you need to know for the story is that Gohan is married to Videl and has a baby Pan. Earth had been threatened by the Destruction God Beerus and his Angelic companion Whis. Beerus is incredibly powerfull because he is a god. Vegeta and Gohan trained under him and Whis and they tapped into god ki as well truning them into a Super Saiyan God. They fight in the tournament of power against all other Universes in total to their Universe (Univers 7) to be destructed. Every Universe has a twinverse. The Twinverse of the 7th Universe is Universe 6. If you do want to read more about this I recommend this website: https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page 
> 
> In my FanFic we explore further the Namekian Race and the legend of Zalama: a Super Namekian God and creator of the Super DragonBalls and the Divine Dragon. So we're going to find out the origin of the DragonBall's and it's relation to the Namekians. Piccolo get's the major power-up he deserves. 
> 
> The Iclyn Saga is the first part of the 'Who Would Have Thought" series. More description in the notes of this series. There are Original characters in this fic. But I promise it'll make sense in the story! 
> 
> OC's in the first Saga:  
> \- Vanil  
> \- Yesmin  
> \- Iclyn  
> \- King Blyzard
> 
> I listen to and welcome feedback. This is my first fic.
> 
> Enjoy!

# Iclyn Saga

## Chapter 1: a part of the Son family

In front of a spectacularly big and a blush pink mansion with a strawberry colored roof, also known as the ‘Son Gohan Residence’, stands a big Japanese Lilac Tree. The house was rather extravagant, but the garden surrounding it was a neat and quiet garden. It was full of lavishing bushes and trees with flowers, flowing water and green lawns with paths in between. The Japanese Lilac tree was tall and oval, with white flowers and a cinnamon colored bark. And under that Lilac tree sat a jade skinned Namekian warrior, the hero of our story.

This Lilac tree had become a certain Namekian warrior’s favorite. Piccolo never imagined that a tree that stood in Satan City, could hold his preference over a tree near his favorite waterfall in the forest he once claimed his own. Yet it happened anyway. It was the first beautiful day of spring. A sunny and warm afternoon with a gentle breeze. Ever so often Piccolo allowed him to relax as he did at that moment. Growing older softened him a bit, less hard towards himself… and others he had to admit. While enjoying the spring weather, sounds and scents, he gently rocked Pan’s crib with his right foot. Always looking stoic with a stern face and crossed arms in front of his chest. What if someone sees him? He needs to keep his reputation in check.

Piccolo rested his head back against the cinnamon bark of the tree, taking in his surroundings. The garden reflected the character of it’s inhabitant, his best friend. Gohan had made sure it was a peaceful garden. All measures taken to make sure his best friend in the whole galaxy would feel at home. The house did contrast starkly against the serenity of nature. The golden statue of Hercule Satan in front of the entrance was disturbing his view. _Kami that man was full of himself. He was a kind enough father and grandfather, but that statue was ungodly and a sore to his eyes._ The style of the house represented the style and taste of the one who let it build… no other that Hercule Satan. _His gift did help Gohan immensely to provide for his family_ , he reminded himself. 

As if to soothe his tainted eyes he looked at the girl in front of him, sleeping in her crib. Pan resembled both of her parents. Her hair and pale skin complexion were her mothers, but her eyes... Her eyes were Gohan’s. With only a small smile of Pan with her big baby dark brown eyes, his composure melted like snow in spring’s sun. He had a weak spot for children, everyone of the z-senshi knew. They didn’t dare to speak about this out loud though. Yamcha still scares easily with just a nasty look on his face, maybe showing a little fang sometimes. Piccolo couldn’t help but smirk at that thought.

He loved babysitting Pan, but somehow these relaxing days made him melancholic, giving him to much time to think he guessed. The rocking motion of the crib almost put him in a trance, the sight of baby Pan triggering memories of times spent with his almost surrogate son. Thinking about how he wound up in this family, back to when it all begun. It took him back twenty years in time to when Gohan was just a three year old sniveling bratt. How much he hated that sound of his whining and crying.

“ _Come on get up there’s no time to waste!” Gohan sat in a blue lake crying. What a hurtfull sound he made! “Huh?! Where am I? Where’s my daddy? Dad?! Daddy! Help me that bad Piccolo man has me! Daddy! Help me please!” Piccolo walked up towards Gohan grabbing him by the back of his coat out of the water. “Okay that is enough!” He thundered. The kid just wouldn’t stop crying… “Shut up! I can’t hear that sound anymore do you hear! One more sound and I give you something to cry about. Finally the kid shut his mouth and dried the tears in his eyes, facing Piccolo waiting for him to talk._ “Good. Now do you remember your power?” When Gohan couldn’t comprehend what Piccolo was talking about he threw the kid into a mountain…

He winced slightly at the thought of his ‘discipline’. “Good thing the kid blasted the mountain into smithereens.” _I was kind of cruel back then, he thought._ An inheritance form his late father, who fused with him right before dying. His sire’s memories and purpose clear through eggshells. Gohan saw right through his angry façade, fortunately. Chatting to him every night by the campfire, trusting him and wanting to know more of him, gradually chipping off pieces of the walls he put up around him. Training the boy felt as a necessity at first, but as time went by, the urge to protect the boy (rather than blow his head of) grew.

_The crackling of fire sounded and the campfire warmed up the cold starry night in the desert. Gohan sat next to Piccolo nursing his wounds. Everything hurt! Piccolo’s strong voice filled the silent air. “At least after six months you’re not acting like a crybaby anymore.” Gohan chuckled “Hey Mister Piccolo, is it true you fought my dad a long time ago?” “Yes but that fight is not yet finished Gohan. After we get rid of those Saiyans and then your father is next on my list.” Gohan stared up at him with big brown orbs. “But you don’t have to fight him anymore, there’s no need to now. I can tell you have changed and you’re not a nasty person anymore… You are one of the family now!”_

His heart swelled at the memory. _You certainly are my family Gohan._ The memory was bittersweet really. The reason they met, wasn’t the best of circumstances. Kidnapping Gohan, how wrong the act of itself was, he would do it all again because that act saved him of a life of solitude, hatred and loneliness. It was selfish maybe, but training and practically raising the boy as his own gave him a peace of mind and a sense belonging. If he would do it all again, he was sure he would do it better now... _I guess I became a slightly better character._ And Piccolo couldn’t help but chuckle at that thought.

As if proving his parenting skills to himself he stood up and leaned over the crib. Piccolo gently laid his hand on Pan’s forehead, brushing away some strands of pitch black hair. “No matter what happens Pan, I will always be there to protect you.” _Just like I’ve been there for your father..._ That promise held so much power when he was younger. The thought trapped him even further in his melancholy. _Because my power and fighting skills really mattered in those days…_ He couldn’t help the feeling of usefulness creeping in the back of his mind. _Goku, Vegeta and Gohan have long surpassed me. I barely even make a difference any more. Well except of being a strategist and mentor. To some I still might be a strong and fearsome opponent, but he hated that he was left behind in the race of becoming stronger._ “I need to get rid of these thoughts.” And as if on cue Pan made a happy chirping sound from her crib. “You want to play Pan?” Piccolo covered his face with his hands. A drop of sweat ran down the side of his face due to his slight discomfort of exposing himself ‘acting silly’. “Peekaboo.... peekaboo peekaboo”. The sounds of his deep, gruff, grumbling voice Piccolo broke the peaceful silence in the garden. Pan burst into a fit of giggles and happy laughter when he showed Pan his face from behind his hands and pulled funny faces. Piccolo chuckled. The sound of a child’s laugh was almost as good as the sound of running water. And with the sound of that cute little laugh gracing his ears, his heart swelled with pride. Gohan made that baby… _Is this how grandfathers feel? Chi-Chi made the comparison._ He was not sure if that had been a compliment though. She was so surprised when she found out what he did for the baby-girl when he baby-sat her. She called Goku out for lacking in his duty as a grandfather.

To Piccolo Pan was the most beautiful girl in the world and she held one half of his heart since the first time he held her, the other half reserved for her father ofcourse. 

_“Piccolo, Piccolo please come quick!” Gohan shouted through their mental link. Piccolo was at the Look-Out and snapped out of his meditation when he heard Gohan’s cry. He stood up straight away turning towards the edge of the Look-Out. “Gohan what is it?! Did something happen?” He felt so surprised, because he couldn’t feel a threat anywhere. How he dreaded that feeling…” “Piccolo it’s no threat, but there’s definitely a new power level on the way. I don’t know what to do. Help! Please”. Piccolo took a sprint and jumped off, flying away as fast as he could, leaving a stunned Dende and Mr. Popo behind._

_In mere minutes he reached Gohan’s house and stormed inside slamming open the front door. He felt for Gohan’s ki to find him in the huge mansion. When he walked into the room he saw Gohan sitting on a bench outside their bedroom door. Head in his hand, crying. “Gohan, I came as fast as I could…” He slowly walked up to his friend and sat down next to him. He stayed quiet, waiting for Gohan to spill the beans like he always did. He didn’t know what to say anyway. What if something was wrong with Videl or the baby? He wouldn’t know how to react. He’s never been good at showing social behavior. “Piccolo?” Gohan’s voice cracked and the tears were running down his face. “It’s a girl… Videl gave birth to a perfectly healthy and beautiful little girl.” Gohan slowly turned his face towards him, showing him a wide flashing grin through his teary face. Piccolo let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and felt a warmth spreading through his chest. “Congratulation’s kid, you’re a father now.” And at that moment Gohan swung his arms around Piccolo in a tight embrace. Piccolo stilled for a second, rigid in the hug before relaxing into the touch. Gohan backed a way slowly letting go of his friend and stood up, drying his tears with the back of his hand and grabbed Piccolo’s hand to pull him out of his seat. “Come on, I want to show you something.”._

_They walked through the bedroom door and towards the bed. Videl sat upright, her face tired and sweaty and hair a mess. Human childbirth really is such a pain. And when he looked closer he saw her with a big smile, cooing towards a little pink bundle in her arms. “Piccolo, I want you to meet our daughter.” Gohan took the baby from Videl, very careful as if afraid to break her. “Do you want to hold her?” Piccolo’s eyes widened and shook his head, words getting caught in his throat. “It’s all right Piccolo, I know you won’t hurt her.” Finally Piccolo managed to get a sound past his lips. “How do you know, she’s so tiny.. And I’m a demon compared to her.” Gohan snapped up at that comment. “Piccolo, don’t you ever, ever say that again! You’re no demon. You’re a Namekian. A strong, selfless, honorable, kind, smart and cunning being, who saved my ass more times than I can count. If you ever were a demon, you’re nothing else than a guardian demon… and you’re my best friend. And for that, Videl and I wanted to ask you, will you be her godfather?” Gohan smiled at him and took a step forward, gently handing over the baby. “We named her Pan, after you.” Piccolo looked at Gohan, Videl and finally at Pan, having a hard time trying to swallow the lump in his throat and ignoring the sting in his eyes. “I… I’m honored Gohan, thank you.”. He looked at baby Pan in his arms, pink rosy cheeks, wild hair and long eyelashes adorning her sleep shut eyes and smiled one of his warmest smiles. “She’s so tiny…” Piccolo not only closed the little girl in his arms, but also in his heart._

So here he was. Ever since the birth of Pan, he stepped in whenever he could to help Gohan and Videl raising Pan. This girl is going to be so spoiled if he didn’t, Piccolo was sure of that. Gohan and Videl show no discipline whatsoever. Videl choose to stop working to stay at home and care for Pan. But like most people Videl loves a little free time for herself to do some shopping or maintain her hobby of fighting crime in the city. Since Gohan works as a science researcher at the University of Satan City Piccolo offered to help his family out and babysit Pan two times a weak. He shook his head at that thought. Yes that’s what he’s become to… a Namekian warrior babysitter. The evil and ruthless Piccolo Daimao Jr. is part of the Son family now, helping to raise another child, set onto the idea of showing some discipline. He guessed he really became part of Gohan’s family. Piccolo grunted when he thought about the Irony. “I’ve become soft and pathetic. Must be Kami who made me a sentimental fool.” Truth is, he wouldn’t have it any other way...

Suddenly Piccolo was snapped out of his mood. Gohan snuck up on him. _That’s not good._ “Hey Piccolo! I’m back!” Gohan walked up towards their spot under the Lilac tree. Piccolo swore Dende was out to get him, because Kami! Every time he played with Pan and let go of his pride to make a fool of himself in front of the baby-girl, Gohan or Videl came home. There really is nothing left of his reputation in the Son family.

“I’m home early today. Looks like you two had a lot of fun today.” Gohan chirped happily when he walked up to them. Piccolo stood and turned around to face Gohan, cape swirling behind him in his movement. “Wipe that smirk of your face Gohan…” Piccolo stood straightening his back and folded his arms into is usual stance. “We had a good day, I think we got a little ritual on our hands. Playing inside with her puzzles and plush bunny, having lunch, making a mess eating tuna pancakes, clean up and after that Pan will take a nap in the garden while I rock her crib before I start meditating.” Piccolo grimaced. “Apparently when I decide to play with her when she wakes up, you come home early cause you miss spoiling your baby.” Gohan laughed and couldn’t help but counter back. “We’re spoiling her huh? Have you just heard yourself or should I record your report.” Piccolo grumbled, crossed his arms and uttered a defense while being unable to fight the purple blush covering his cheeks and ears. “At least I give her regularity. The ritual is there for a reason. Baby’s thrive on regularity Gohan. It’s good for them, they know what to expect and can’t get out of her naptimes, like she tries with you.” Gohan’s laugh turned into a chuckle. “Yeah you’re probably right Piccolo, but I can’t just deny her anything when I look into that face of hers.” And when Gohan lifted up Pan from her crib to cuddle her, he faced his best friend. “It’s a good thing you’re around then.” Piccolo showed them his private smile, the special smile he saved just for them, to acknowledge his friends statement. “You’re a good father Gohan, you have a family to be proud of.” Gohan couldn’t help but beam at he declaration. “Thanks Piccolo, you have too.”


	2. A personal question

## Chapter 2: a personal question

Piccolo felt rather awkward after the fluff moment he had with Gohan. He folded his arms almost to prove he was still a though guy. Gohan sat down next to him folding his legs like his mentor. Piccolo saw the approval to close his eyes and meditate. His friend would stay quiet until he felt comfortable again. Gohan knew his friend and the moment had passed. It was appreciated, acknowledged and now it’s time shut out. Gohan put Pan down on the grass, distracting her with her bunny to keep her from pulling out green grass blades from his lawn. Apparently pulling grass and throwing away the green blades is a very fun game. Finally she seemed to agree the stuffed bunny was more fun to play with. Pan was a content baby, making happy sounds while she cuddled her bunny tightly. Gohan watched his daughter play and let the peaceful scene go on for a while.

Piccolo levitated a few centimeters above the ground, sorting out the events and feelings of today. Gohan felt it radiating of him, he could read his mentor better than Piccolo was aware of. A stray thought about a peculiar event today popped up in his head. This afternoon he felt a hollow feeling in his chest paired with contentment. A foreign feeling he didn’t recognize as his own. He was at work doing research and when it hit him. _Articles don’t have this effect on my mood._ It wasn’t the first time this happened while at work, but he found out the correlation was with his big green babysitter at home. It occurred only when Piccolo was watching Pan, mostly on sunny days. His friend let his composure slip sometimes, probably not intentional. _Must be strong then if Piccolo lets it slip. He normally has a perfect control over his body and mind. Should he say something about it? … He still seems a bit off. Others probably won’t notice._ Gohan frowned and scraped his throat to announce he’s about to say something, breaching the comfortable silence between them.“Is everything okay Piccolo? I mean… You’re happy right?” Piccolo gave him a sideway glance, lifting his right hairless browridge. He didn’t say anything yet, but Gohan was aware what he was thinking, the surprise clear to him. _What brought this comment on Gohan?_

Piccolo sighed, clearly Gohan wasn’t done talking. He knew he was close to Gohan. But that telepathic link was the reason he needn’t speak about feelings. Gohan was the most important person in his life and he preferred to just show it by being there when he needed him. Talking about it was rare and he could count the times on his one hand. After he died when the Saiyans arrived, after defeating Garlic junior and after defeating Cell he told him about how proud he was or what a good friend he was. And even then he couldn’t help calling him out for sissy to talk about mushy stuff. Piccolo admits he changed, but still he felt awkward when ‘mushy stuff’ occurred. “Yes.” That simple answer was all he was going to give him right now. In his mind he added _I’m the happiest I’ve ever been._

Gohan pressed further, not satisfied with that one word. More was going on inside Piccolo’s head and he needed to try to find out what’s happening to his friend. “Piccolo, I’ve been thinking today and well… may I ask you a personal question?” Piccolo braced himself. He felt his wall coming up and knew the kid didn’t deserve it. _He means well._ Probably Nail who felt the need to comment. _Let him._ Piccolo sighed. “You know I hate to talk about myself Gohan. Is this really necessary?” Gohan avoided his gaze by looking at his baby girl, his finger wriggling in her tiny hand. “No… necessary is a big word, but… well… I think you deserve to be happy and… I guess I’m not confident you truly are!” At that point Gohan deemed it important to look Piccolo straight in the eyes. “I mean I roughly know some of your emotions or thoughts through our telepathic link, you let it slip sometimes.” Piccolo’s ears flapped a little at that statement and his interest piqued. _For Kami’s sake, how could I have let that happen? What did he let slip exactly_? Piccolo felt his anger in his stomach bubble up. The anger was only directed at himself and he let Gohan continue. Gohan babbled on, wanting nothing more than to get it over it. “… but I know you’re more aware of my thoughts and feelings, than the other way around. Even after all these years you’re guarded in some ways. It doesn’t happen often, but I know you do keep them from me on purpose…” Piccolo mulled his words for a minute. _Is he going to relent?_ “Fine.” Gohan’s eyes lit up and as soon as he wanted to continue he got interrupted by Piccolo who suddenly stood up. “But, first you hand over that baby to your wife and spar some with me. It’s been almost a week since you last trained! And I can’t have you slack off on me again.” Gohan’s hand involuntarily met his head, curving his arm in famous Son style. “My wife? But Videl is still out….” And at that exact moment Videl entered the garden. “Hey guys! What’s up?”! Gohan looked a bit surprised, while he knew what had happened. Piccolo probably heard her a few miles away with his super Namekian hearing.

Gohan stood up and approached Videl, lightly kissing her on her cheek. Public affection didn’t really bother them, he loves his wife and he isn’t afraid to show it. He grew up with adults who never showed affection, except Bulma maybe. Videl leaned into the kiss and fidgeted with the fabric of his jacket. “Well??? What’s up?” “Well Piccolo and I are going to train, so that’s up.” Gohan handed over Pan to his wife and Videl received her with open arms. “Hi Pan! Were you a sweet girl for Piccolo today?” Piccolo had sat down again in the meantime, crossing his legs again in his meditative position. Gohan would probably stall, so might as well sit down until he was ready. All Piccolo did was nod, that was all Videl needed to see. “Good! Well, it’s good your training Gohan, you haven’t exercised all week.” She gently patted his arm, feeling up his muscular biceps through his jacket and winked at him. “Besides, it’s good for your stamina… I like it. ” Gohan felt his blood pumping and blood boiling, reddening his cheeks. Was it hot outside or was his wife the hottest woman in the world? Gods he loved that girl. Piccolo watched the display of affection from a distance. Silly humans displays of affection. Gohan got his act together and scraped his throat. “Ahum, uhmm, Imma head inside than and change. Don’t wait with cooking dinner, I’ll eat when we get back.” “Sure Gohan, have fun.” Videl looked at the baby in her arms and held her above her head. “Sooooo Pan, what shall we have for dinner then huh?” She walked inside chatting away as if the baby could understand her babbling. Gohan shook his head and followed her inside to change. “Be right back Piccolo!”

After Gohan changed into his purple gi similar to Piccolo’s, he was ready for a friendly spar. “Shall we head out to the desert Piccolo? I think the inhabitants of Satan City won’t really appreciate us fighting here.” Piccolo lifted his feet of from the ground, floating into midair. Piccolo was happy with the change of tone in their exchange of words and he was eager to stretch and strain some muscle. “Follow me!”. They took of full speed, wind whipping through Gohan’s thick black Saiyan hair and Piccolo’s cape. Flats, houses, cars, people were left behind as tiny specks on the ground. Soon they changed scenery, leaving the city behind and passing large fields with farms, hills and mountains and even flying through the salty sky above the ocean until they got closer to a familiar part of the desert. After not to long they reached their destination, their fighting camp since Gohan was little. Wind whirled past rocks and large boulders, blasting sand against their legs and into their eyes. A rough landscape which hold a silent beauty in and of itself. No-one would mind them blowing things up around here, except for some desert animals maybe. Gohan hoped they would sense the upcoming danger and flee.

Piccolo interrupted his thoughts with his deep and powerful voice, not wasting any time and coming straight to the point. How he needed the distraction from his day of domestic melancholy. “Ready Gohan? You need to earn that answer first!” Piccolo smirked and crouched down in his fighting stance. _Come at me kid, I’m ready._ Gohan mirrored Piccolo, his fighting stance a mix between Piccolo’s and his father’s. After a moment of silence Gohan powered up, screaming in the process while his power raced through him. His hair turned golden and his eyes teal, while energy waves rolled off his body and sparks of energy crackled in the air. _Piccolo’s in the best shape he’s ever been and can handle my Super Saiyan 2 form with ease. He would be offended otherwise._ He thought with amusement. Piccolo smirked, knowing all to well Gohan would charge at him first. _The best offence sometimes is a good defense Gohan. He should know this by now._ Gohan came at him at full speed ready to blow. He punched right past his face, Piccolo ducked the blow easily. To Piccolo’s surprise Gohan appeared to have anticipated this and from under Piccolo’s guard, a quick jab with his other fist connected with his stomach. Bile and blood rising up from his stomach into his mouth. Piccolo doubled over and grunted. _Asshole._ But he smiled with pride. That fist hurt badly. The Namekian fighter recovered quickly and threw his whole body into his punch, landing in Gohan’s abdomen. _He stood to close._ He continued with a roundhouse kick to Gohan’s side full power and heard something crack with his outstanding hearing. A blast to his chest send Gohan flying into a nearby pile of rocks in an incredible speed. The boulder collapsed on top of the demi-Saiyan. A thundering sound was heard. Gohan’s body ached, rocks scratched his skin and dust left a layer on his skin. Reluctant to breath to prevent him from inhaling any dust. Piccolo waited for Gohan to get back up and polished away a little stream of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. _It probably had appeared after that hit in my stomach._ He send some ki towards it to heal his stomach to stop the internal bleeding.

Gohan slowly stood up, moving rocks and shoving rubble aside in the process. His back was arched and ached from the weight that lay on him just moment ago. He cracked his neck and faced his opponent again. “Took you long enough… You need to take training as serious as your studies Gohan. I know you’re very thorough with your essay. If you would treat these training sessions with the same preciseness you’ll learn more out of it. Think of it as learning a new concept or subject. You don’t know these right away right? You need to keep repeating it to automatize it. Until it comes natural to you. So don’t slack off and keep training a few times a week like you promised you would. I whipped you back in shape for the Tournament of Power and I would like you to keep it that way. The time has passed that I could always be there for you to protect you. Or Pan for that matter…” Gohan dusted off the dust from his clothes and shook the rubble from his hair. _Did Piccolo just make a comparison to my studies? He pays more attention to my learning processes than I gave him credit for… I thought he hated books…_ Gohan showed some confusion or maybe surprise on his face, because Piccolo could fill in the blanks. “No I don’t hate your studies, I think it’s a good thing you pursue your dreams to become a Scholar and support them even… I do think you slacked of last week though and I won’t have it. You know what happened when Freeza and his henchman returned before the tournament of power. I needed to die for you in order to save you again and while I rather die myself than you, I don’t have a death wish per se.” Gohan could fee the warmed crawling up his cheeks, turning them into a bright red. Piccolo sighed. “Look Gohan, I’m not saying this to embarrass you. I just want you to become better. So I’m opening our telepathic link now, so you can hear everything I’m thinking during battle. Don’t let it distract you, but think of it as feedback. When you write an essay you write, reread and use feedback to rewrite your essay to perfection. See our training as a similar process.” Gohan felt a tingling in the back of his mind, meaning their telepathic link was now fully opening, allowing him to hear every thought. Nothing suppressed this time. Piccolo’s thoughts and observations poured in from their punches and blows from earlier. Every move Gohan made was visible for him now. _This is a great idea Piccolo, thanks! I can see all my moves and mistakes I make._ Gohan saw a slight twinkle in Piccolo’s eyes, but the rest of his face remained stoic and calm. He knew he was in his element, teaching him his greatest passion. “This break took you long enough Gohan” Piccolo barked. And Piccolo was next to him in a flash, forcing him to step back in a flurry of punches and kicks, blocking as much hits as he could manage.

Gohan was determined not to let Piccolo get the upper hand and learn as much from his mentor through their telepathic link. He wanted to get better. Learning from every mistake by not only feeling the hits in his face or any other body parts, but also from seeing it when he left a spot open or lacking in technique in any way. Gohan’s stance improved bit by bit during those two hours of training, not letting himself open as much as he would normally do. Piccolo didn’t succeed to land as much blows on him as he was used to. _That’s it! Keep it up kid._ With Piccolo’s advantage gone he knew he would lose this spar soon. Normally his sharp eye and cunning would give him the upper hand in the fight. His experience and ability to strategize would always to lead him to victory. But when it came to brute strength the demi-Saiyan would win and it appears it would come to this this time. And he was right. Gohan and Piccolo were mid air and Gohan punched him so hard in his face, Piccolo plummeted down in high speed. His cheek hit the ground first, his cheekbone cracked under the impact and his body crashed hard with the dirt. Gohan followed suit and delivered a final blow with his elbow in his back, knocking Piccolo out for a second. When Piccolo came back he knew he lost and chose to lay there just a little while longer. His whole body ached and slowly sat upright, cracking the tension out of his neck. “Good work Gohan.” Gohan took the compliment and nodded. He threw Piccolo a water bottle and sat down next to him. “Are you all right? You were out there for a second and that cheekbone looks bad.” Piccolo took a big swig of his water and winced a little from the pain in his cheek. “I’m fine” he grunted.

They sat there in silence together, still panting a little to catch their breath after a good workout and drank water to rehydrate after training. Piccolo lifted right knee up and rested his forearm on his knee. “Okay Gohan, out with it.” And he gestured with his hand to let his companion know he was ready to talk. “Well…” Gohan began, unsure how to begin. “I have been thinking about this for a while now, but we never really spoke about this. And seeing you as often as I do and seeing you as a part of our family I started wondering…. Did you ever think of having a baby of your own?” Piccolo was caught off guard by this question. “What brought this on Gohan?” voicing the question that entered his mind earlier. Gohan let out a nervous laugh, placing his hand behind his head in signature Son style. “eh.. well… as I was saying I was just thinking… well… you practically raised me, trained my brother and Trunks, Pan loves you.. you’re simply great with kids. I think you would make a good father. Haven’t you ever wanted a kid of your own?” Piccolo looked at Gohan not showing any emotion on his face, hiding his inner turmoil behind a mask, while Gohan proceeded. “Or at least thought about it?” I mean you could spit up an egg yourself can you?” It took a few seconds for Piccolo to answer. “That is a personal question Gohan”. 

Piccolo felt unsure and stared at his hands unfocused. That hollow feeling in his chest he tried to ignore for years was dominating. His heart was beating fast from the nerves he felt for not ignoring it anymore. The fact he was going to talk about it made it all the more real. The memory was tucked away for a reason. If it wasn't there.. he didn't have to deal with it.

...

_He meditated for six days, 5 hours and 33 minutes and he still wasn’t any closer to accomplishing fatherhood. Sweat dripped from his forehead and his frustration made him agitated. No animal in the forest dared to go near him. Even Kami and Nail kept quiet after a nasty discussion inside his mind. Ever since that wrecked party of Bulma with little Goten, Trunks and Marron running around the big gardens of Capsule Corporation he got infatuated with the idea of having a child. Gohan had started to visit him less and less and he felt lonely. He knew that feeling all too well from when he was a child. A child of his own he didn’t need to give back to the parents. His time with Gohan was only borrowed time. A child would solve his loneliness and gave him another purpose in life now Gohan didn’t really need him anymore. It would only be a matter of time until he would settle down with Videl. He stood up from his meditation. Piccolo felt nauseous, a sour taste in his mouth and a prickling in the back of his throat suggested he was going to vomit. Is this how his sire felt? His father spit up eggs as if it was a hobby of him. He shivered and tightened his muscles of his abdomen, forcing a pushing motion from his stomach and gagged with a pressure on his throat and neck. But nothing came but some saliva he spit out. He walked up to his waterfall and splashed some fresh water in his face. Who am I fooling. I’m not going to spit anytime soon. The only thing was, he had no clue why he couldn’t. His father didn’t experience any difficulty. His fit collided with the ground and he clenched his jaws. That bastard didn’t even to have any kids and got them anyway. He swore to Dende, that he would be good to any child he wanted to bring into this world. He looked up to the grey clouded sky and ignored the stinging sensation of his eyes. You know I would don’t you?_

_..._

Gohan saw the empty look in his friends eyes and knew he hit it right where it hurt the most. Piccolo needed to talk about this if there’s something bothering him and it’s obvious there is. “I know It’s a personal question, I’m sorry.” He bowed his head slightly with his apology out of respect for his mentor. “I don’t try to offend you, it’s just… Correct me if I’m wrong… Sometimes I feel a suppressed emotion in the back of my mind. It’s almost a sadness, missing or longing even, but I’m never sure if that’s what it is. I feel you’re content with life now, it’s different from when we were younger, but I just wish you would be fully happy. You always make sure I’m happy. You’re always there for me. And I know I open up more naturally to you than you do to me, but I just want to show you I’m there for you too.” Piccolo sighed and uncrossed his arms, opening up a little. “I’m still not sure how this brought you to that question.” Cheeks dusted pink and Gohan bowed his head even further. “I guess I felt this almost sadness, mostly when you were babysitting Pan. It almost wasn’t noticeable, tucked away deep, but it was there next to pride and contentment.’’ Piccolo felt anger boiling in his stomach. _How could I have lost his grip on his emotions and not be aware about it? That’s just sloppy! Gohan shouldn’t worry about these things. He wouldn’t confuse it with jealousy would he? Because that’s unfortunate._ “Gohan, first of all…” He paused finding the right words. “… I really feel like part of a community, a family thanks to you, so please don’t feel bad about this… But the truth is. You were right about the feeling of longing. I did think of becoming a father myself and this start a long time ago…” Gohan nodded, encouraging to elaborate himself. He was appreciating Piccolo’s honesty.

And Piccolo did proceed. “When you became a teenager, busying yourself with high school, you started to visit me not as often as you did when you were a kid. And when you got infatuated with that woman of yours, I thought I became less relevant to you. True, I had Dende to guide, and didn’t live in the woods of desert anymore as a recluse. But it still felt lonely. You didn’t need me as you used to, which was understandable, but I wanted to feel needed.” Gohan held his breath, becoming completely quiet before breathing out. “I’m sorry Piccolo, I had no idea. If I had known, I would have visited more often.” “Forget about it kid, I’m not telling you about it to feel guilty. It was just a phase. Besides I understand your love for Videl a lot better now. It took me a while and needed to see this kind of love from up close… and different couple than your parents… Videl’s pretty great.” Piccolo smiled softly and squeezed his shoulder with his hand in assurance. “But as I was saying…” Piccolo continued. “…at that point I decided I wanted a child of my own to guide and train. But after a few months of trying still nothing happened. I couldn’t spit up an egg. I did everything I knew from my sire’s memories. I did everything right. It frustrated me so much I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer and I talked to Dende about it. That’s when I found out I can’t….”

Gohan didn’t know what to say for a bit. There’s such a taboo about not being able to have a baby, What was he supposed to say? He was glad his friend opened up about it, because Kami knows how rare that is and he certainly didn’t want to offend him. Was he supposed to comfort him? No, knowing Piccolo he would receive a blow to his head. So he kept it simple. “I’m sorry to hear that Piccolo.” Piccolo gave a nod in acceptance and continued. “You know that there are different types of Namekians right? Kind of like there are differences within the human race. There are warrior-type Namekians, Mage-types and Healers. Apart from their abilities they differ also in their reproduction system. This I didn’t know. Dende explained to me that warrior-type Namekians aren’t able to reproduce asexually, since warrior type Namekians only have male reproductive organs. Mage-type Namekians however are able to reproduce asexually with them being hermaphrodites. My father Piccolo Daimao Sr. ànd Kami were hybrids like me, meaning they had warrior-type and mage-type abilities. Difference is, my father and Kami were predominantly mage-type Namekians with some warrior traits, whereas I’m predominantly warrior-type with some mage-like traits. Hence I only have male reproductive organs and can’t spit out any eggs.” Gohan took the information in, sunken in thought. “So you mean, to be able to have kids, you’ll need a hermaphroditic Namekian of a female to reproduce like… like Saiyans or Earthlings?” Piccolo nodded “That is correct.” Gohan brought his hand up to his chin and looked very confused. Then he started babbling away, trying to make sense of his own thoughts. “Well that doesn’t make sense then, since you don’t have any female species… But on the other hand you don’t really need them since you have hermaphrodites? So that does make sense. I guess it’s better for stronger offspring to reproduce sexually, by expanding your gene pool. Gohan shot up from his seat, standing enthusiastically in front of Piccolo. “Can’t you ask Dende to do it?!” Piccolo’s eyeballs nearly popped out of it’s sockets by that comment. _He really is like his dad sometimes…_ and he could feel disgusted shivers over his spine by the thought of sexual reproduction with Dende. “No feeling of want can ever be big enough to go down that road. Not going to happen Gohan, not by a long shot. “Well! Then we need to find you a girlfriend somewhere.” And at that comment Piccolo couldn’t help but snort. He quickly put up his hands up in front of them, motioning Gohan to calm down his enthusiasm over such ridiculous thoughts. “Pfft! Like that’s ever going to happen! No, no, no!” “Ah come on Piccolo, Pan would have a friend to play with. I mean other than Bulla. You said you wanted a child don’t you?” Now Piccolo stood from his seat as well, arms crossing with a scowl on his face. “I said no, Gohan! I don’t want a child that bad. I’ve seen you grow up and will see Pan grow up… And don’t throw those puppy dog eyes at me. You’ve gotten to old for those to work” _Gohan doesn’t need to know they still work sometimes. “_ No not in a million years would I ever fall in love with an earth woman. And besides… No girl in her right mind would ever, ever fall in love with someone like me. Be realistic. This discussion is over Gohan.” This discussion was far from over for Gohan. How could he not see what he had to offer? He never thought of Piccolo as ugly. He believed him to be quite handsome… Sure he was grumpy and guarded, but once broken through his barriers and though exterior there was a gentle soul. There surely would be a woman out there somewhere right?

Piccolo stood up and was ready to fly away. He bent his knees and his ki surrounded him in bright white waves, charging his energy to fly full speed. “You should go back to Videl and eat. You’ll recover faster if you eat within the hour.” Before he could take off a shock went through his body, halting him in his action. Piccolo and Gohan looked wary at each other, dread filling their bodies. This feeling was familiar and it wasn’t good. Well to Piccolo it was a bit exciting maybe, but in all seriousness it was mostly dreadful. They felt a dark powerlevel entering the planet Earth… and it was huge….


	3. Another threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Ice-jin attacks Earth when Goku and Vegeta are away. And the Ice-jin brought two unusal and ruthless guards with them. One of them drives Piccolo nuts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi readers! Welcome back! I was so happy to see my first kudos and Bookmark. Please comment or leave kudos so I know you like my story. 
> 
> This chapter is the first part of the big fight and I'll try to continue soon.

## Chapter 3: Another threat

A strong wind swept through the wasteland, making a clear whistling sound, whipping up sand, making it fly around the Namekian and Saiyan-hybrid warriors. Apart from the sound of the wind and a few chirping birds it was dead silent around them. The figurative calm before the storm as they call it. Gohan’s hair was blown out of his face and a shiver ran over his spine, a combination of cooling down fast after his workout and a feeling of dread sinking in his shoes. _Why is this happening... again._ “Gohan! Did you feel that?” Piccolo barked at him, clearly displeased with the amount of power they sensed. When he tried to take of he was halted by the shock that went through his head and then his whole body. Now he stood there, stunned with bend knees as he was just about to fly away. Slowly his back straightened and he bend his head backwards to loop up towards the clouded sky. Both warriors searched where the power was coming from, sharing the parts of the world they passed in their minds through their telepathic link to make their search more efficient. _There! It's locating above the Southern hemisphere. We might need to fly to South._ In reaction to his thoughts his body tilted his head towards the south on it's own accord. Piccolo comfirmed it was most likely to enter the atmosphere above the island where South City was located. _That’s no good with all the inhabitants at risk._ Worry took over his face when his eyebrows scrunched together. His father and Vegeta just went out training with Whiz, they’re too far away from their home planet to feel any attack. Hopefully Bulma will be successful in calling them back. He wasn’t sure they would make it without “I have a bad feeling about this Piccolo…. It almost feels like Freeza. It can’t be him.. again.. can it?”

Piccolo shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense for Freeza to attack Earth again after the Tournament of Power. He would never win from your father and Vegeta and he knows that. Besides it doesn’t feel like Freeza’s Ki. It’s definitely as evil though… And regrettably it’s stronger than Freeza’s.”

Gohan looked down at his feet, hands curling into fists, almost drawing blood. “I was afraid so. Man!” He threw a fist in the air in anger. Can’t we catch a break? A peaceful one. I’m fine with facing another fight if it’s just until Pan is grown and able to defend herself. ”

Piccolo loved fighting, he really did. And no matter if it was a good spar or a big threat, he loved the challenge, he loved to push himself harder and harder to become stronger, though he couldn’t deny he shared the sentiment with Gohan at that moment. As soon as Pan was big enough he would train her and he was certain Gohan and Videl would agree. Pan would be the last child to train. He made that deal with himself not too long ago, after training with Goten and Trunks. _Those blasted kids._ Until Pan was old enough to be able to fend for herself, grow stronger than himself, he would train her. And when Gohan would grow too old to keep up with his Namekian youth he would spar with Pan to remain fit and defend the earth. Hoping that by that time they wouldn’t need Goku and Vegeta to save the day, like now they did…

Suddenly two feet landed firm behind them in the ground. Gohan and Piccolo both focused so hard on the upcoming threat they hadn’t been aware of another person closing in on them. Videl stood behind them with Pan in her hands, panting hard. She flew as fast as she could after sensing the dooming power entering the planet’s atmosphere. On her back she had a backpack and threw it towards Gohan. “Eat, you’ll need it Gohan.” She smiled at him, trying to hide her concern, knowing that her husband was about to enter another battle that could lead to his death.

“Dende-Sama!” She said in between deep breaths. “I came as fast as I could when I sensed it. I knew you had been training so your energy must be low. Gohan, Piccolo did you feel that! That power is incredible. Is… is it… is it Freeza again?” Gohan turned around to face his wife, enclosing her in his arms, lifting her chin up with his thumb en index finger to look at her. “No it’s not Freeza, but we don’t know who it is. Who-ever it is, Piccolo and I will need to find out. My father and Vegeta are out training on Beerus’ planet, so we’ll have to fend them off ourselves.” Gohan kissed her mouth tenderly. “Thank you for bringing me this Videl.” Gohan planted a kiss on Pan’s little forehead. Saying good-bye, just in case.

Piccolo watched the affectionate display before him. He didn’t want to break it off, but he needed too. Who-ever it was, it was heading towards South-City and they would need to hurry if they wanted to protect the city from any danger. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we really have to go. Thank you Videl, Gohan can you eat that whilst flying?”

Gohan took a look in the containers Videl had packed in the backpack. They were full of sandwiches so it was easy enough to eat. _She’s amazing._ With a chaste kiss he took to the air and waved at his family. “Videl, take care of Pan. We’ll be back soon. I promise.” Piccolo joined him mid-air, glancing a look towards Videl. _I’ll keep him safe._ With that Piccolo and Gohan took off. With high speed they seared through the sky, flying towards whatever threat they were going to face. Gohan ate a few sandwiches as fast as he could. He lost some on their way, feeling clumsy as he did. “I was hoping I was wrong about South City!” He spoke with a mouth full.

Piccolo looked straight ahead, not willing to watch Gohan eating with gusto. _Disgusting._ Good thinking of Videl. She knew she was outmatched in this fight. Videl knew any bandits in the city were no match for her, but alien’s with this amount of power… She would only be in their way and a source of concern for Gohan… and himself too he had to admit. Videl did what she could to help out and that was by restoring her husband’s power to full strength after a work-out. For Saiyans or demi-Saiyans that meant food. Piccolo was a quick healer, but he couldn’t say he was fully restored. He hoped someone thought about bringing sensu-beans. They might need it later on.

When Piccolo and Gohan touched ground they saw Krillin, Tien, Yamcha and Master Roshi already waiting for the spaceship to arrive. Bulma was there too. She donned her spaceship back into its capsule. They spotted the alien spaceship flying above South City. To their relief it appeared to fly past the city and land on the inhabited terrain on the outskirts of town. They stood on an island with large waves crashing against the cliffs. They had been on a similar spot when Freeza arrived with his men not to long ago. This really felt like a de-ja-vu. The wind swept past rocks and boulders, dust swirling in circles and grass and some stray bushes danced like it’s life depended on it, swaying back and forth. Maybe it did.

An anxious silence surrounded them, the only sound that of Piccolo’s sweeping cape and their nervous breathing. All focused on the upcoming task at hand. They were waiting for a big fight to come and Goku and Vegeta were nowhere near. The Z-Senshi had too much experience with these kinds of situations to not know what was going to happen now.

Gohan thought about their adventure on Planet Namek and on the advantage of sneaking up on villains they encountered. Freeza didn’t know they were there back then. They hid behind boulders, keeping their power levels low until they knew a little more about the men before them. Piccolo nodded at Gohan, having picked up on his thoughts. Gohan stepped forward and turned towards the other fighters, taking back his role as team captain of ‘team Universe 7’. “You guys, if we want to start with an advantage it might be better to hide behind this boulder and observe our opponents first. We may gain some knowledge about who they are and what they want…”

Everyone agreed and they followed Gohan’s and Piccolo’s example. They sat widespread behind several boulders and all suppressed their energy, trying to stay hidden. Krillin sat on his knees peeking past the rocks he was sitting behind. His eyes observed the hideous spaceship who prepared to land on the island’s grounds. He was the first to break the silence, unable to contain his nerves. “This reminds me of our fight with Freeza you guys… Guess we’ll have to give it our all again huh?”

Piccolo looked straight ahead, seeing the ship coming closer to where they hid, dirtying the clean blue sky with its ugly appearance. The spaceship was large, round with a black strip in the middle. At the front of the spaceship was a large purple tinted round window. Yellow legs emerged from the sides. It was an Ice-jin’s spaceship all right. The ship looked very much like Freeza’s, only this one was more modern and technically advanced. The outlines were rounder, it was flatter and seemed lighter _._

As if Bulma heard Piccolo’s thoughts she looked at him straight in the eyes, both panicked and extremely excited. If she could only take a look at that ship…. Just a little peek. It looked so aerodynamically advanced and she would love to see the engine and computer works. If they have the chance to win, she’s definitely taking a look inside. 

Piccolo spoke without meeting his friends eyes, trying to keep focused and calm. No-one seemed to notices his own anguish. “I’m afraid so Krillin. Stand your ground everyone, this might get ugly.”

As soon as the spaceship landed on the earth’s ground a swarm of guards flew from the ship like bees fleeing from a beehive that fell onto the ground, tainting the sky with black freckles. Piccolo grunted and shouted “They’re here!” and the z-Senshi braced themselves, ready to strike when needed.

A variety of species spread out over the island's terrain, all guards with an heritage unbeknown to them. As far their eyes could reach they could see different shades of orange, blue, purple, yellow and pink. They had different skin colors and textures, some were hairy, spicky, had tails or weird bumps on their heads and others had horns or strange large limbs or heads. Some were good-looking humanoid aliens, others were a sore to the eyes. All of them probably joined their army as a last resort… their home planets destroyed by their emperor. Arcosian guards had one thing in common and that was that they were all wearing battle-armor.

From in between the many differently colored and sized guards, three aliens emerged. They stood out from the rest of the flock. It was apparent they were the stronger ones, higher up in the hierarchy. The guards made way for them to enter their new-to-conquer-planet. The three aliens stood in a triangle, two in front, one in the back. In the back stood an alien that was unmistakably and expectedly an Ice-jin, no doubt about that. It wasn’t Freeza this time, they never met this Ice-jin before. The Z-Senshi weren’t sure to feel relieved it wasn’t Freeza or afraid of the unknown situation. Maybe they were both at the same time.

The Ice-jin was in its fourth form already. It was slender but muscular, white body armor placating the shoulders, forearms, shins and chest area. The ice-jin had more feminine features than Freeza had. The jawline, was softer, eyes larger, shoulders slimmer, hips wider and the chest plates of the bio armor were thicker. Probably female. The eyes were ruby red with a thick black line framing them, but they were as cold as any Ice-jing they ever encountered before, hard and piercing like an icicle. The Ice-jin was white all over with an icy blue shiny patch on the head and crystal-like patches on the forearms and shins. The legs and tail had a darker shade blue, almost navy. Unlike the three-toed claw like feet Freeza had, she had pointy boots covering the feet, like Frost did. There was a similarity with Frost, the sixth Universe’s Ice-jin they defeated in the Tournament of power.

The two front men stood in front of the female Ice-jin, guarding her and commanding the guards. No-one of the Z-Senshi could hear what they were saying, except from Piccolo, who could hear them commanding the guards to scatter, search the area and kill anything on their way. This planet was about to be stripped down and sold to the highest bidder. “Stay low and keep quiet until I say so, Piccolo whispered to them with a deep, raspy low growl.”

The two warriors flanking the ice-jin were unmistakably Namekian with their green skin, four fingered hands with black talons, sharp fangs and long pointy elflike ears. They were just about Dende’s size, maybe a little smaller. Slender and muscular, not at all what you would aspect from the regular broad and tall warrior-type Namekians.

Krillin spotted the two Namekians as well, unaware of the command the guards just received. Relief washing over him as he was happy to see two friendly faces. He was hopeful, maybe this wasn’t as bad as they thought it would turn out to be. So Krillin stood up and waved his hands above his head as a friendly gesture towards the aliens. Maybe the aliens were here on a friendly visit and not seek out revenge or search for the Dragonballs like they assumed they would. Namekians were incredibly kind beings after all. Krillin laughed out loud while he shouted. “Hi guys! Phew, you gave me a big scare at first but am I glad to see ….. hmpf….”

Bulma quickly cut him off, pressing her hand firm over Krillin’s mouth and nose, cutting him off any oxygen, and dragged him back down on his knees. “You fool!” She hissed. “Piccolo didn’t tell you to keep your mouth shut for nothing you big dweeb. They have Namekian hearing so they can hear you easily enough from that distance. They aren’t friendly” Bulma was almost fuming.

Krillin wiggled his way out of her hand and gasped for air. He put his hand behind his head, scratching the back of it, still not able to keep his mouth shut. “Yeah but they’re Namekians aren’t they? Namekians aren’t bad, they’re friendly people you should know that by now Bulma. Yeeeez I can’t believe that after all this time you’re still as afraid of them as you were on Namek.”

Piccolo felt the anger bubbling in his veins, but felt a big lump fall down like a brick in his stomach, when his eyes locked with the Namekian on the right. Piercing, stone-cold obsidian eyes met his and his veins turned to eyes while his heartrate sped up. “Krillin, you fool, they heard us. He spotted us!”

Their hiding spot had been discovered, but they didn’t attack straight away, which was odd. Krillin saw the Namekian on the right talk to the other Namekian guard on the left and they both turned their bodies towards them in a very controlled almost machine like manner, but still didn’t attack yet. Krillin swallowed audibly. _Shit! they don’t look so friendly._

“Krillin, not every Namekian is friendly, think back to Lord Slug when he tried to dominate our world… And my sire and myself prove that Namekian’s aren’t all ‘goody-two-shoes’ for that matter. We’re perfectly capable of being cold hearted and evil.” Piccolo gritted out through his teeth. He wasn’t always on the good side and he couldn’t believe Krillin didn’t remember. He had been killed by his father’s doing for Kami’s sake! He looked back to the Namekians standing in front of the Ice-jin. Why weren’t doing they anything. They knew they were here. “It’s like they’re waiting for something” he whispered to Gohan.

Guilt filled Krillin’s being from revealing their hiding spot. Yamcha put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “We’ll figure it out Krillin. I’ll kick their asses for you.” Not really reassuring his friend by overestimating himself. He meant well, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against them. They sure lost their advantage now and will need to fight very soon.

Gohan saw Yamcha’s attempt fail and tried to comfort his friend himself. “Piccolo’s right Krillin, but you are in a way too. Mostly they’re friendly and don’t seek out violence and only tend to fight when necessary.” Gohan chuckled to lighten the mood. Better have a friendly conversation before dying than fight with your teammates. “It’s unusual, like Piccolo is.” Piccolo shot him a death glare before refocusing on their newfound enemies. Gohan followed his example but explained their give-away to the others. “They look unusual from the Namekians we know. Apart from their small size for warrior-type Namekian’s and their larger eyes, they are wearing Arcosian armor. There’s something strange about their movements too.” 

Piccolo was captured by the looks of the Namekians, there was something about them and he couldn’t put a finger on it. He was well remembering Lord Slugs attack. These two were nothing like Lord Slug. Lord Slug was big, dark Green, old and ugly. These two were good looking young warriors with bright jade skin. The pink patches on their arms and legs were covered with tight black long sleeved shirts and black leggings. The armor they wore was hugging their bodies with shoulder patches and faulds. The faulds were pieces of armor protecting their waists and hips. The only thing about their attire that was a bit resembling their heritage were the turbans on their heads, covering their antenna’s. The Namekian on the right, wore a black turban. The head wrap was worn low, a knot on the back of his head. Fabric was hanging loose from the knot and draped over his shoulder. It was almost as if he was wearing a scarf. He had big almond shaped eyes. His eyelines were wider on the inside and more narrow on the outside, going up in a slight curve. The obsidian irises had the ability to drown Piccolo in deep black pools and freeze him to death. The little straight button nose and almost rosy cheeks, gave the hard stare a softer edge. The Namekian on the left side of the Ice-jin was slightly smaller. He was wearing a violet turban in the same manner. He was less stern looking, with a lighter eye color and softer shaped cheekbones. He tried to look angry, but it was almost unconvincing. Both Namekians were wearing golden collars and wrist bands. It somehow reminded him of shackles. The weirdest thing about them was that he couldn’t sense any energy around them. As if they had no Ki. It made it damn hard to read their power like this, that’s for sure.

The Ice-jin turned it’s head to the right, speaking to the two warriors before her, well aware of the fact her Namekian guards had heard something. She had an evil smile on her lips. _Let’s lure them out._ Gohan sat next to Piccolo and saw Piccolo’s sensitive and elflike ears twitch and flick. He was listening intently to the aliens before them. He knew his friend was able listen to what they were saying. “Fire away, Vanil. Get them.” Sounded the command of the Ice-jin.

It took Piccolo a few seconds to realize what happened, distracted by the right Namekian warrior with the black turban. When he realized what was happening he was too late. “My pleasure, Lady Iclyn.” The Namekian with the black turban answered and he shot up in the sky. Energy flowed around him. A large and destructive ki-blast was fired towards South City, blowing up the metropolitan area. Buildings collapsed, explosions were heard from a great distance and the Z-Senshi could sense the fading of the inhabitants lifeforces. After watching the smoke dissipating from the place where the city was located, Vanil turned to the other Namekian with the violet turban, who apparently was called ‘Yesmin’. Yesmin was ordered by Vanil to stay back and protect Iclyn while he got ‘the show on the road.’ The Ice-jin called Iclyn was told to wait for him to clear the field for her and pick up ‘the dirty work’.

Piccolo was snapped out of his trance when Vanil shot forward and hit him full on his face with his fist. “Oof!” Piccolo felt anger like a tidal wave coming up, a growl growing and rumbling into a battle cry. _How did he reach him so fast? And why didn’t he see this happen?!_ “YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!”. Piccolo yelled and he met Vanil in the fight, blocking and dodging Vanil’s blows, delivering punches, high kicks and Ki blasts in return. Vanil’s strength was incredible, not what you would expect from his size. And what was most concerning that even in battle he couldn’t read his power level. With a flick of Vanil’s wrist the other guards followed his lead, all approaching the Z-Senshi for a war to start. Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Roshi and Gohan took several guards each while Bulma stayed by her spaceship, looking for some good food to catch Whiz and Beerus’ attention when she called. She needs her husband an Goku to help her friends! Food normally did the trick for Whiz to answer her. But whatever they were doing, Whiz didn’t answer her cry for help.

Punches, kicks and jabs were striking their opponents efficiently and effectively. Every move measured and executed precise and perfect. Numbers of guards were decreasing drastically, good fortune was teaming up by their side, thank Kami. Gohan defeated his batch of guards with a final blow, while the others were still fighting off the mix of guards. He slammed two heads together, knocking them out and ran towards Piccolo to back up his best friend. Piccolo was having trouble to keep up with his Namekian opponent. He was heels deep in a heated fight, Vanil proved to be a very skilled fighter. “Piccolo are you allright?” Gohan shouted.

“No sweat kid, just getting warmed up.” Piccolo smirked. He’s always been an arrogant fighter.

Vanil’s eyes grew wide before narrowing, an evil smirk plastered on his face. “You’re a cocky one aren’t you? I like it. You’re a good fighter… You should come work for us. And I promise you… I won’t treat you nice.” Vanil said with sarcasm thick in his voice. His voice was light, melodious and pleasant to Piccolo’s ears. Mezzo in comparison to his baritone one.

Piccolo huffed at that comment and the realization Vanil distracted him again with something as simple as a voice. “No thank you, I decline the offer. I’m my own boss and I tend to keep working that way.” Piccolo hit Vanil in the stomach to accompany his rejection. Blood almost spewed in his face, but Vanil recovered quickly by slamming his combined fists on top of his head. The pain pierced his skull, as if it split apart and his teeth rambled. With an accompanying roundhouse kick he send Piccolo crashing towards the ground. Piccolo landed face first in the dirt right next to Gohan’s feet. _This is the second time today I have a mouth full of sand,_ Piccolo cursed to himself.

Vanil seared through the sky and halted a few meters above him. When he send a Ki blast his way Piccolo kicked up in a backward movement and send it away, killing one of the guards that was attacking Yamcha. He saved Yamcha from a deathly grip, right before another guard shot him through the chest.

Tien saw the scene unfold right in front of him. “Yamcha! NO!” He ran up towards his friend and killed the killer with his tri-beam. “Here you go you bastard!” Tien held Yamcha in his arms, as his arms fell limp to his side. Blood flooded Yamcha’s mouth and his eyes lost their color and turned hollow. Slowly his heart stopped beating and his body fell ice-cold. Everyone felt Yamcha’s Ki disappearing. Yamcha was dead.

Yamcha’s death shocked them to their core and Bulma wept. They just lost a team member very early in battle, who tried with all his might to help save the planet.

Vanil followed his blast with his eyes before they came back to the Namekian warrior in front of him. Piccolo placed his hands next to his face and he pushed up, sat down on his knees and slowly stood up on the balls of his feet. Piccolo wiped angrily at the purple blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He spat on the ground to get rid of the taste of blood. His hand went to his neck to crack it when he abruptly moved his head to the sides. Yamcha wasn’t his best of friends, but he didn’t have to die. _They will pay for this._ When he moved his face to the right he cast a glance at Gohan.

The worry and sadness was apparent on the demi-Saiyans face. Gohan became emotional and his anger burst turned him into a Super Saiyan. His energy flared and sparked around him as his hair was turned golden. Gohan’s teal eyes met Vanil’s and the obsidian eyes of his opponent matched in determination to kill. “You have no right to come to this planet and kill all these people. They didn’t deserve this. Yamcha didn’t deserve this and you will pay.”

Vanil laughed an hysterical menacing laugh. He put his hand forward and made a ‘come hither’ motion with his index finger. “Try me.”

Piccolo and Gohan shared a look and Piccolo nodded towards his friend, hinting he was ready for him to help. Vanil needed to be punished and they would need to do it together. It stung his ego big time that he needed help. Piccolo and Gohan both bend down into their fighting stances. Back to back, mimicking each other by putting both their right hand in front of their torso and left hand next to their sides.

Vanil crouched into a fighting stance as well, bending his knees, spreading his feet firmly with his heels into the ground, arms protecting his upper body. His eyes glittered with the upcoming challenge. Two-to-one. _Nothing I can’t handle._ “Shame, such a waste. I don’t like killing the one Super Namekian I encounter.. and such a handsome one to… but.. what must be, must be.”

Taken aback Piccolo stood straighter by that comment. Gohan silently grabbed his shirt at the back to pull him back into his fighting stance. “Don’t drop your guard.” He hissed. It seemed the tables had turned now and Gohan was watching his companion. Piccolo couldn’t help but feel distracted by the Namekian in front of him. Was he an android of some sorts? Fighting Vanil almost felt like fighting Seventeen and Eighteen. And then there was this nonsense babbling. Who in their right mind would call him handsome in the middle of a fight? And what was he saying about the one Super Namekian he encountered. He knew he was stronger than most of his race, but surely he wouldn’t be alone in this. Slug was one for example… Piccolo took of his turban and weighted cape, throwing it with a thud to the ground. _Time to get serious._ He felt offended that some Namekian youngling thought he was tough enough to toy with him. “Stop your babbling and fight me, _boy._ ”

Vanil frowned, nose scrunching at that comment and he placed a hand to his chest faking to feel offended. “No need to turn so hurtful now.” He charged up drastically, flat grey pebbles floated up until he was surrounded by little specks. His eyes lit up and his irises had gotten a ruby red glow to them. Piccolo wasn’t sure if his eyes were shining or if the hue came from the glow of energy that started to channel to his forearm. At the end of his fingers his energy formed a dagger-like form and Vanil’s facial expression turned terrifying, his smile ruthless. He charged forward cutting through Piccolo’s arm like a hot knife cut through butter. The other arm was cut of right after and everyone watched it happen in horror. Purple blood sprayed from his elbows down, soaked his gi and shoes when a pool formed at his feet. Vanil shot forward again with her daggerlike arm, when Gohan intervened. Not allowing Vanil to hurt his friend further.

Gohan tackled him and when his foot collided with Vanil’s ankle a snapping sound filled his ears. _Broken._ Vanil sank through his ankle and fell down on one knee. Gohan felt an adrenaline-rush souring through his veins by this little victory. He’s impaired even if it’s just for a small while. _That’s for hurting my friend._ A flash lit up the battlefields air when Gohan threw a massive Masenko-wave towards his opponent. Vanil still sat on one knee, trying to heal his ankle as fast as he could by sending his Ki there. He couldn’t stand… The energy-flare swept him up and send him flying away. He screamed in agony until the sound was out of reach of normal, non-Namekian ears.

In the distance the Z-Senshi saw Yesmin trying to abandon his post in front of Iclyn, but Iclyn barked him back. “Vanil will be fine, stop whining Yesmin!”

All eyes were on Piccolo now Vanil was out of sight. His purple blood mixed with green slime when he yelled and grew back a new pair of arms. He panted with ragged breaths. Regenerating cost him a large amount of energy.

“Piccolo, do you need a senzu-bean?” Gohan walked towards his friend to check up on him now the enemy was temporarily away. His eyes went back and forth between Piccolo and the landscape they were located, scanning the battlefield for his enemy to return in the meantime.

“No we might need it later, I’m fine. We need to work together as a team or we won’t make it. And dodge that energy blade on his arm, that’s one killer move.” Gohan and Piccolo stood back to back again, waiting for their opponent to strike. That Masenko sure wasn’t enough to kill the Namekian so it would only be a matter of time. “What do you think Gohan, are they possibly androids?”

Gohan thought for a second, putting the puzzle pieces together. He could see why Piccolo would think that. But his gut told him this was different though. Gohan shook his head. “I don’t think so, but there’s something not normal that’s for sure. He didn’t even break a sweat yet. That blast got him good though.” And he smirked at his achievement. Gohan looked over to his friends. They had moved Yamcha’s body over to Bulma’s ship. His eyes were closed and arms were crossed out of respect. He watched Bulma punching her fist in the air above her, shouting with all her might, whilst holding what looked like a New-York style Cheesecake in her hands. “Hey Bulma! How is reaching Whiz going along? We need Dad! And Vegeta! I’m not sure if Piccolo and I can hold them off much longer. Even if we manage to overpower Vanil we have two more to go.”

“I know Gohan! I’m really trying. Those Super Saiyan-dorks are happily training of on some faraway planet and if I can’t reach Whiz or if they don’t notice soon they don’t have a home to come back to!” Bulma was throwing a big temper tantrum by stomping her feet on the ground and smashed the cake on a nearby rock, missing Roshi just by a hair’s-breadth. “Damn these men! Vegeta if you don’t come back right this instant you’re not getting any desserts or any sex for A MONTH!”

Gohan could see Krillin and Tien scuffle uncomfortably around, pushing their feet in the dirt. He scratched his head, while Piccolo scraped his throat and tried very hard to look in any direction but Bulma’s. When he saw Piccolo’s head snap up he followed Piccolo’s gaze. The sound of a familiar voice filled his ears.

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Vanil jumped back onto the battlefield from behind the boulder Bulma just had assaulted with cake. The sleeves and leggings were torn apart, revealing more green skin and pink patches. He had scratches on his face, arms and legs, but other than that he seemed fine. “Whoever that Vegeta guy is, denying him any sexy time is just plain cruel. I wouldn’t even punish with such matters.” Vanil winked at Piccolo by that statement.

Piccolo felt his face heat up until the tips of his ears were a bright violet. He could swear even his toes were blushing. _Did I just hear that right? “Gohan what is happening? I’m no good at such things, but after hanging out among humans for quite some years, I swear he was just flirting with me?!”_ He send Gohan through their telepathic link.

 _“That or he’s mocking you, I’m not sure which one it is though.”_ In any other situation he definitely would laugh out loud at this situation. When he saw Piccolo’s face and mouth slightly agape, clearly thrown off by the comment, he had trouble to keep a serious face. This fight just turns out to be really bazaar in some ways.

Piccolo snarled showing his fangs, trying to save his composure by the only way he knew. “Shut your mouth this instant. Your mocking won’t be tolerated, so better stop it and start acting seriously.”

“Fine.” Vanil copied Piccolo’s snarl, showing his sharp white fangs. He fixated his eyes on Gohan. “That blast did really hurt, you think you could get away with this?!” He was going to kick his ass hard. Joking was over.

They exchanged hit after hit, and blow after blow. Rocks crumbled and chipped away piece by piece like Piccolo’s and Gohan’s energy did. They needed to end him soon or they would get in severe trouble… and the Earth too. When Gohan got behind Vanil and hooked his arms under his armpits, trapping Vanil in a tight grip, tables seemed to turn. But Piccolo didn’t like it. It reminded him of Goku trapping Raditz in his hold.

“Piccolo! Use your Makankōsappō!” Gohan yelled. Vanil started trashing around, trying to hit him in the ribs with his elbows. It was no use, Gohan had him tight. “Piccolo now! Don’t get sentimental on me now! You know it’s the only way. The Dragonballs grant two wishes remember? You can wish Yamcha and me back!”

Piccolo’s vision seemed to be in a time-warp, Gohan’s face switching places with his fathers and back. He couldn’t kill Gohan! There was no way! Gohan’s voice reached the inside of his mind, speaking to him telepathically. _“It’s al right Piccolo, do it know! I won’t hold a grudge.”_ Piccolo shook his head in denial, but even he couldn’t find another solution. “ _’ll wish your ass back over here, as soon as I can. But at least try to survive. Power up, go Mystic. You’re stronger than your dad were back then.”_ He put his index and middle finger to his forehead and charged his Ki, gathering energy at his fingertips where it sparked by it’s increasing bundled power. 

Gohan smiled and nodded. Complying to his friends request. He powered up drastically, until the heavens opened up for him. All clouds circled around until there was a clear blue opening in the sky above them, with bright rays sunshine shining onto their heads. His aura shone a bright white light and his hair and eyes turned back to black. Thy Universes mystical power was flowing through his veins.

In the meantime on a planet about 26 minutes at lightning speed away from King Kai’s Planet, two full-blooded Saiyans were peacefully munching on a pepperoni pizza. The sky was colored lilac and round orbs were floating in the atmosphere. Probably neighboring planets. The grass-like plants had a blue hue to them, the color similar to young gumtree leaves on earth. The lower part of the planet had a flipped upside down pyramid shape, but the castle was located in and around the gigantic purple tree that stood firm in the middle of the flat surfaced planet’s grounds. Vegeta and Goku were situated outside in front of the large purple tree. They sat there, having a nice picknick on a cloth full of food, tired and satisfied by their advanced martial-arts training with Whis.

Small yellow butterflies were fluttering around Goku’s ears, carefully waving them away. He had to concentrate at an important task and that was destroying a large pile of cheesy pizza’s before Whis, Vegeta of Beerus beat him to it. Every time they visited Beerus’ planet to train with Whis to become stronger they had to take as much Earthian foods a capsule could carry. Bulma insisted on keeping Beerus, Universe 7’s Destruction, as friendly with them as possible. But the fact that he needed to bring food to Beerus didn’t mean they couldn’t eat some themselves. That would be utterly unfair!

“Goku keep your filthy Saiyan hands of my pizza you stupid monkey!” Beerus yelled at him when Goku tried to take a piece of the last seafood pizza. It was Beerus’ favorite and he’d rather kill the man than to share it.

“Ah but Beerus-sama! Just one little piece pretty please. I’m hungry after training.” Goku whined as his stomach grumbled. 

Vegeta smacked him at the back of his head, trying to stop his friend from agitating the Destruction God. He picked up a mushroom pizza piece and held it in front of Goku’s face, luring him with the tasty smell.

Goku’s eyes followed the piece of pizza ready to take a bite right out of Vegeta’s hand when he felt a spike of energy somewhere faint. It tingled in the back of his head and tickled his nerves in his neck. He knew that energy well. It was Gohan’s Ki spiking. “Whis? Is something the matter back on Earth? Can you take a look for me please?” He had a feeling Gohan wasn’t training that he needed that amount of power.

The eccentric and tall pale-blue humanoid angel looked at Goku with questioning violet eyes. With a calm demeanor he materialized his scepter out of thin air. “Oh my goodness I should install an alarm on my scepter. It appears I have a few missed calls. This never happened before I met you Earthlings.” He put his fingers from his right hand to his lips and giggled. “Let’s see what we have here.” Whis closed in on his scepter, his face almost touching the green glowing bulb on top of the scepter. He closed on eye, to focus his eye on the scene shown on the magic bulb before him. “Oh my, it’s Bulma!”

Vegeta’s interest was piqued at the mention of his wife. “What would she want this time.” He grumbled. He sounded gruff to hide his concern. He was well aware something’s possibly wrong if she calls him back from training. In a few seconds he stood behind Whis, looking past his shoulder to see what his scepter would show.

Whis’ scepter glowed, showing the three of them the missed calls from Bulma while Beerus remained seated. Not bothered to know what’s happening, his only priority the seafood pizza on his plate.

Bulma’s face showed fear, anger and sadness. She was screaming and yelling. “Whis? ….. Whis?! …… WHIS! answer me! Look I have a New-York cheesecake for you. It’s deliciously creamy. And it has a vanilla flavor, your favorite remember? WHIS!” In the background they could hear a large bang in the background followed by the sound of collapsing buildings and rocks hitting the ground. Was that Piccolo yelling? And Gohan? “Whis, when you get my call could you please send Vegeta and Goku back home? Earth’s under attack and we might not make it without them… Yamcha’s already down.” She looked down for a minute and sniffled. “Damnit! Vegeta! Goku! I need you to come back! Gohan and Piccolo probably can’t hold them off much longer!” Another loud blast was heard in the background and the earth under Bulma’s feet appeared to be shaking. Bulma looked to her right. Someone called her. They could hear Gohan yelling at her. “Hey Bulma! How is reaching Whiz going along? We need Dad! And Vegeta! I’m not sure if Piccolo and I can hold them off much longer. Even if we manage to overpower Vanil we have two more to go.” “I know Gohan! I’m really trying. Those Super Saiyan-dorks are happily training of on some faraway planet and if I can’t reach Whiz or if they don’t notice soon they don’t have a home to come back to!” Bulma was throwing a big temper tantrum by stomping her feet on the ground and smashed the cake on a nearby rock, missing Roshi just by a hair’s-breadth. “Damn these men! Vegeta if you don’t come back right this instant you’re not getting any desserts or any sex for A MONTH!”

Vegeta grabbed the scepter and pushed it down. “Okay, that’s enough! Damn woman.” He turned around and saw Goku grinning. “Get that stupid grin of your face Kakarot or I knock your teeth in. Now come on, we need to go home or my woman won’t keep her mouth shut for a whole month!”

“Right!” Goku laid a hand on Vegeta’s shoulder and raised his index and middle finger to his forehead. He started searching out his son’s Ki through the Universe. He passed King Kai’s planet, Yardrat, Neo Namek, Saturn, Jupiter and finally Earth. It didn’t take him long to locate them with Gohan’s energy spiked so high. “Found them! By Beerus! By Whis!” And they disappeared from Beerus’ his planet. Both Saiyans couldn’t hide their excitement to fight another threat that had arrived and they couldn’t wait to face it.


End file.
